“So, I’m sitting here working and watching Sherlock (ok so maybe I wasn’t working that hard) while drinking a lovely cup of The Black Lotus when all of the sudden they mention that a gang is called...”
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“Quick recount of the last two weeks…
1) New puppy
2) Toddler gets sick
3) Preschooler gets sick
4) I get walking pneumonia over spring break (luckily at home, but no school for kids and a mom with...”
Read full tasting note

“every 500 years there is an eclipse… the world is dark but for certain iridescent flowers. only upon the most still lakes and ponds does it gleam… the black lotus; invisible by sunlight, black...”
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From Butiki Teas

This English Breakfast blend combines the best of three worlds, including some of our favorite teas from three different regions. Our Premium Taiwanese Assam adds chocolate and raisin notes and delivers a delicious malty flavor, while the Giddapahar Darjeeling Extra Special conveys almond, jasmine, and citrus notes. Finally, the Congou Keemun adds a touch of earthiness and mushroom notes. These premium teas blend well together to create a complex malty yet smooth breakfast tea that merits the name The Black Lotus.

So, I’m sitting here working and watching Sherlock (ok so maybe I wasn’t working that hard) while drinking a lovely cup of The Black Lotus when all of the sudden they mention that a gang is called The Black Lotus. What a random coincidence. I definitely didn’t name this tea with the show in mind but that is kind of cool. The name of the tea is a nod to one of my husband’s hobbies, Magic: The Gathering. The most prized card in that game is the black lotus card, so I thought it would be fun to name this tea that. It is very much suiting my mood at the moment with the fantastic mushroomy earthiness and chocolate, caramel, and citrus notes. Yums!

We are shaking things up a bit over here. Moving out some old teas, preparing for some new ones. I love changing things up and constantly looking for higher quality and making more interesting flavors. There is no room for average teas. So, we just finished off our Classic Earl Grey, Organic Imperial Gunpowder, and Birthday Cake (we are reworking this one with a different base tea) and there are a few other teas that are set to be removed once the current batch is finished.

Btw, if you haven’t voted yet for your favorite custom blend in our contest, please do. It will help someone create their dream tea blend. Also, we super appreciative of any sharing of our contest on social media sites. Here is the link: www.butikiteas.com/Contest.html

Tea Sipper-Unfortunately, we will run out of the Hattialli Golden Lion Assam. Not by choice though. I didn’t anticipate how much we would need for the year correctly. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to acquire more until the next harvest.

Sherlock is a lot of fun! I’m so sad to see BC go and never got a chance to try your EG (I was just thinking about it today because I was trying a bunch and realized I never think to grab your more traditional sounding blends just because you have so many things nobody else does I want to try first), but I appreciate how dynamic and truly innovative the company is, so I can understand. Looking forward to new things!

I’m a little sad about the BC too because I thought that one was a winner but maybe the white tea version will be even more awesome! Also, we will be working on another Earl Grey. I’m debating between going with a really good base tea and staying traditional or doing funky Earl Grey blend. Thanks for the kind words! :)

Quick recount of the last two weeks…
1) New puppy
2) Toddler gets sick
3) Preschooler gets sick
4) I get walking pneumonia over spring break (luckily at home, but no school for kids and a mom with pneumonia is a bad combo for all participants…)

Things are finally calming down a bit. I’m over the bulk of the crud, but the cough is driving me nuts. Throughout the the last two weeks I’ve lived off mostly Laoshan Black, Wild Mountain Black, and Tawainese assams.

It was time to change it up a bit today, but not by much. This is still my favorite English Breakfast tea, and Verdants Imperial Breakfast Blend is my other favorite breakfast blend. Probably because they each have a base of my two favorite teas. Laoshan Black and the Taiwanese Assam.

I have a million teas, I’m too afraid to count the actual number, but over the past few months since life has gotten so busy, I really only drink about 10 of them. Not sure what to do about that, but it is what it is. I don’t want to get rid of any that I like, but I don’t drink them very often. What to do?

Sorry to hear you’ve been sick! Luckily, at least you had excellent teas to drink, right?

Regarding the ‘problem’, I totally understand! :D
That’s why I print out a list every month, & check the teas off as I drink them (with cute little symbols, this week it’s a little flower). Theoretically, I only drink each tea once a month, but I’m allowed to cheat occasionally (whenever I want), & there are many teas that I never get around to drinking. I’m trying to remedy that, but I have way too many teas to drink in a month, & many of them require gongfu sessions to really be appreciated…sigh…the problems of being a tea lover…

Everything always seems to happen at once. Glad to hear that things are getting better.

Life is too short to drink tea that is meh. At home I end up making tea I don’t want for my husband since he is pretty much a tea garbage disposal that will drink anything or I end up tossing it. At work, there is a much bigger problem. We have boxes and boxes full of samples. Every now and then I try to make it through the samples but usually they end up in the garbage. I’m hoping to find a place I can donate samples to but since they are already open, probably not.

Stacy, I do that to Husband too! Or rather, I used to do it. He’s beginning to learn to tell me if I’ve given him one he doesn’t like and he’s lost interest in most flavoured things. Otherwise though he’s after effect rather than taste when drinking tea. If you give him a cup he’s never had before and ask him what he thought immediately after he finished it, more often than not he doesn’t know. He’s learning to pay attention without being told though. I think he’s realised that it’s in his own interest to do so.

Angrboda-I get the I don’t know from my husband too. Hahaha. Or I get ‘tastes like every other green tea I’ve ever had’. Um, ok hun but that’s a white tea. Flavored teas are ones he enjoys more. I bring all of the samples of teas I’m working on for him. I worked on an espresso cupcake with strawberry cream flavor for my friend and brought the 8 different attempts home for him. He liked them all, even the gross ones.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! Seems like we’re all on the mend and the puppy has kept us quite entertained and busy :-)

Stacy & Angriboda -Ha ha! I do the same thing my husband too, and my mom! They enjoy tea and my worst tea is better than anything they’ve ever had so everyone wins!

Terri- I like your system but I don’t think I’m disciplined enough to only let myself drink my favorites only a few times a month. I should create a favorites list that I can pick from every day and then make a list of the others and start working through them. If I find a meh one, then I’ll throw it my donate box.
Sil — I’d send you all my spares, but i’m pretty sure you’ve had ALL OF THEM! I don’t think I have many teas that you haven’t tried at this point.

And Stacy — I’d be sooooooooo into a traveling open samples box! Not that I need any more tea in my life right now. I was actually happy that hello sweetie was sold out so it would keep me from ordering. It just sounds so good (minus the banana, but I think I can get over that)

TastyBrew-Glad your mom & hubby can help with that. On the plus side with an educational box, you could sit and taste the teas you want in a sitting and send the rest on without adding any to your collection. Sorry for hijacking your note.

Sil-I think I will do it. I’ll put something together and see if I can solicit a curator who can take care of all the logistics.

Stacy, I’m totally open for the samples as well. Why don’t you divide them up, & sell a Spring Sampler Box. When those are all gone, or when you have enough for another round, do a Summer Sampler Box, etc. Supplies will be limited, so they will sellout fast, you could price them to include the postage plus a few bucks for your efforts, & it would be lots of fun! Put me down for one, please. I don’t want to miss out. :)

Terri-I initially thought about doing something like that but then thought the amount of work involved wouldn’t be worth it plus I don’t know how old all of these teas are so I would feel bad if someone got a lot that isn’t great. I did start the box though (sort of): http://steepster.com/discuss/7310-traveling-butiki-educational-box

every 500 years there is an eclipse… the world is dark but for certain iridescent flowers. only upon the most still lakes and ponds does it gleam… the black lotus; invisible by sunlight, black light, flashlight… the only way to see this bloom is during the mere moments it exists as it floats silently by in the impossible light of the eclipse.

don’t blink.

don’t close your eyes for an instant.

the black lotus exists only for that singular drift, which stacy lim knows all too well. the secret of the black lotus has been handed down from mother to daughter within her family since time out of mind.

brown sugar flowers drifting across the water, drifting tendrils of roots trace patterns along the water, contemplating the brief existence and amber legacy it would leave at stacy’s persuasive coaxing.

Yay! I am thrilled you enjoyed it so much you wrote a beautiful review like this. It is a great feeling to share a favorite tea, one that moves me, and discover the person you send it to understands and shares that feeling. Thank you so much for that, I treasure it. Swaps are the best. :D

It’s my Steepster birthday! I’ve been hanging around here for a good 3 years now!

I had another hard night at work – our floor is full of such heavy acuity kids right now I feel like I’m running all night long. Luckily I’ve got a night to recuperate before signing on for 2 more. Plus, it is SO COLD outside. Supposed to flurry later tonight/tomorrow morning, even, though it would be better if it didn’t. Georgians simply don’t know what to do with snow or ice.

So I couldn’t just go off to sleep without getting a cup of tea to warm/relax me. I wanted a black tea, no added flavors but strong. This one I got from Stacy’s Black Friday sale, and since I know most of the flavor profiles of these teas separately, I was excited to see what happened when they blended together.

Followed the steep parameters recommended by Stacy, 3 tsp. leaf to 500 ml. water in the Breville.

This brews up a lighter brown color than I usually expect for a breakfast tea. It’s very smooth and doesn’t need any additives, either, which makes it seem even less of a breakfast tea to me.

Interesting…I think this tea has the lighter texture and mouthfeel of the Darjeeling, while maintaining the chocolate/malt/earthiness of the assam and keemun. It’s kind of throwing me for a loop, actually, that it has such a rich flavor without as much of a body to it.

I will say that I went into this very hesitantly knowing the Keemun was in this blend – I was leery of the smoke. This Keemun is really not smoky at all (phew!) and that was the biggest thing I was worried about so this makes me very happy. I do think its more of an afternoon tea than a breakfast tea, and I also think the chocolate/raisin notes come out a LOT more as the tea itself cools.

Pretty good, but not my absolute favorite blend from Butiki. Still, it was great to try it!

Another great tea from ifjuly.
This is a great black blend. I think it’s well balanced, and stands up to the random steep parameters that I’m putting it through at work today.
I don’t know if bold is the right word, it has a ton of flavor, but they aren’t in your face. It’s just nice and smooth, comforting.
There are some leaves in here that are really green, that seems odd to me, but whatever it is – it works. Thanks ifjuly this is a really nice tea.

ifjuly – I’m just home and have some things to do – but I am having issues with a different one you sent me – if you don’t mind – I’m going to PM you with some questions.
I’m game to try almost anything, but I was surprised how much I liked this one….

Sipdown! Bringing me down to 137….not that it’s going to help much since holy crap I bought 21 teas while here….guess no buying in May unless I can have a really productive Sunday. Heh. I know there are a we few sipdown teas waiting for me at home, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough.

This tea will be on me reorder list for sure. It is a delicious, delicious black tea that has made. My Vancouver mornings even more wonderful…. It has a strength to it while not being overly in my face….and the flavours out of thinks one make me sit up and take note with every sip. I never expect it to be nearly as yummy as it is every time I take a sip lol.

Really?? Variatea…but I have a billion to add to my cupboard!
Lariel – yes may starts next week, but If I can’t achieve my goal, then I’m not allowed to buy more tea until I hit the next months goal….at least until July rolls around – I’m trying to get down to 100 pretty seriously :) so I make up rules as I go to keep me honest.

Memily – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed
Marzipan – I’ve jumped from 134 to 226 in a day hahaha
Kaylee – I’ll be back up after July, just trying to get my cupboard to a 6 month is my oldest tea level before I let is climb back again.

Sil, you are evil. I love you, but you are my sipdown nemesis. I’m going to form an alliance with Cavo, Kaylee, Memily, Marzipan, Varietea, Tea Fairy, & everyone else on steepster to bury you alive in tea, my dear sister! Just you wait! It will happen when you least expect it…mwahahahahahahah!!!

Hahah too funny. I have purposely avoided counting my teas because in my head I think “I’m not so bad”, and seeing someone else’s high numbers makes me feel even better about myself. I suspect though,that my count would be higher than I’d care to admit…and my husband must never find out. Counting everything just makes it all real….

Kaylee – I received a bunch of swaps and a purchase all basically in a day lol Terri and I tend to send each other boxes with anywhere from 30-60 teas in he them when we send teas lol

Terri – hahah don’t you dare

Whatshesaid – I really only count my teas because I like playing little games with myself in terms of numbers and volume. The only thing I really care about is does it feel like I have too much tea. If it feels like a chore to be drinking things because I have “too much” then I have to stop….turns out that " too many teas" number for me is about 325. Lol under 150 I don’t feel like I have enough teas….so eventually I think I’ll end up back around 200 ish which gives me room to swap, make impulse purchases without getting near my oh my god aaaah too many teas! Mark

Interesting conversation – you guys are fun. I’m actually using Sil as my inspiration to get my cupboard down to something reasonable. 350 is too many. 100 isn’t enough. Not sure where I will end up, but if Sil can reduce while people keep sending her lots – then so can I. I just need to focus.

I have this fantasy that the perfect number of teas is 120 – 150. I want to drink a cup of everything in my collection once a month, & I think with a number like that, I could pull it off. However, this wouldn’t count my puerh collection…or maybe it would?

I’m currently at 183 and it feels like way, way too much. I love having such a varied collection, but it’s getting really out of control. Terri – I think you may be right that the perfect number is 120-150. Probably closer to 120 for me. And even that would be an embarrassing number to admit outside of the Steepsterverse.

It also depends on quantity. There is a big difference between 50 – 50g packages and 50 3 tsp swap samples. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by volume rather than number of. I think 150-175 would work for me if 50-75 of those were small samples and the other 100 were more quantity. Dunno – just thinking out loud, but I’m going to be happier if I can get down to 200 ish…

whatshesaid – I cannot speak for anyone else – but I have EVERYTHING I have in the house in my Steepster cupboard. So yes, small samples count – that’s what I was just saying – the number of has to be balanced with quantities of…

Dexter3657 – Fair point about quantity. My teas average an oz. I’ve noticed that when non-tea people gift me loose tea, they tend to get unnecessarily large quantities which I’m then stuck with for what feels like forever. Plus there’s that pound of guayusa I bought to help me get through grad school that I still have half of…

whatshesaid – I don’t keep my Steepster cupboard as up-to-date as I should, but I maintain a list. It includes every tea in my home and office regardless of quantity. That also helps me keep track of who sent me which teas and whether a given tea is in the office or at home.

It’s sort of like, have you ever written something on your todo list just so you could cross it off? I think having the samples in the cupboard ends up like that, I feel like I am getting somewhere because I actually get to remove one.

I like to write tasting notes at least once on every tea I try. If I didn’t put samples in my cupboard, I wouldn’t write tasting notes on them, then I would have no record of what I’ve tried and what I haven’t – I don’t have the fancy spread sheets like some people do. If I go to remove a tea from my cupboard and it says it hasn’t been logged, then I log it. But that’s just how I organize my tea journey.

If you are thinking of doing the spreadsheet, the sooner you start, the better! (You don’t want to do it when you have 200 teas to log. ;P)

Some things you might want to track – when you bought it, your steepster rating, how much you have left, if you’d re-order it or not, and who you got it from if it was a swap. Some of those I added later on and I had to go through and do a completely inventory again. But, it’s fun?

5/5, the best “evokes the traditional versions but betterx10000” breakfast blend ever and one of the best teas I’ve had, period

Ohhhh this is so goooood. It’s so beautiful for a breakfast blend—long, gorgeous leaves of different shades of silvery green, brown, and black—such a far cry from the CTC boxed stuff one associates with them growing up as to be comical. Smells great dry too. And then steeped it looks, smells, and tastes purrrrrfect, bold with deep rich bready and earthy and even slight chocolate-y flavor, unbelievably smooth and satisfying. It’s so easy to drink, but so deep down rich and satisfying and complex too (the earthy mushroom note in particular sets this apart—might sound weird but it’s delicious). There’s a sweetness and smoothness that rounds out the bold malty assam, and the darjeeling qualities I love float lightly but ever present like a specter, just right. A tea I would use to convince a coffee drinker that tea is just as good, no better, first thing in the morning (and all throughout rest of the day!). The flavor strongly lasts for an impressively long time in the mouth too; I’ve been sitting here just basking in the yummy earthy glow lingering on my palate for like half an hour now.

This is the best “straight” tasting (nothing but tea leaves) breakfast blend I’ve ever had, no question. So delicious. Will definitely have to order more, a lot more.

Preparation

i’m insta-obsessed now! it reminds me a little of the qualities i like in Double Knit Blend (that perfect balance of true tea taste and boldness with easydrinking smoothness, and how it automatically picks me up mood-wise), but much more complex (that earthy mushroom note is awesome).

yay, good to know it’s not just in my head. (: the second time i made a cup, i was a little nervous it wouldn’t be as amazing because of my expectations, but it was! and it continues to be! definitely one of my favorites now.

thanks Terri for a sample of this tea!
I’m always excited to try darjeeling blends and this just sounded super tasty and appealing.

This is a mellow tea with some nice floral aromas. I am not picking up on any keemun in here but the darjeeling is lending a bright and fruity note while the assam is malty and a bit winey. In contrast to the tea I had this morning, this is an easy one to sip on plain but I bet it would also take (soy) milk very well. I don’t think it needs sugar at all.

Even though Stacy describes this as a breakfast blend, it’s something I would probably drink in the afternoon. A very interesting and unique blending but I’m not sure it’s really calling out to me.